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Robotech: Crystal Dreams
Robotech: Crystal Dreams was a cancelled Robotech video game meant for the Nintendo 64. The developer, GameTek filed for bankruptcy before the game could be completed, and thus it was cancelled. The game was announced in May 1995 as one of the first titles going to be released at the launch of the Nintendo 64 under the working title Robotech Academy. The game evolved greatly, and was near completion at the end of its production. Antarctic Press produced a promotional comic book that was handed out at E³, which is now considered a collectors item. Game Play "Crystal Dreams" was primarily a space fighter simulation game, but between levels the player would return to base and be able to interact with a variety of other characters, the game also had a continuing war time-line, such that the player could get reports of what was happening in various parts of space, and could help out by rushing to the aid of those that needed their help most. Cast * Ken Robertson - Rick Hunter * Ken Cope - Max Sterling / Brog * Lizard Harac - Kergen / Eboliar * Dennis Macintyre - Kyle Bartley / Exedore * Dave Terry - Breetai / Dr. Lang / Anatole Leonard * Randi Merzon - Vala Norri / Tirra Norri / Lisa Hayes / Miriya Sterling / Lynn Minmei Crew * Chuck Romberger - Producer, Game Engine * Doug Lanford - Story Design / Dialog Scripting * Lizard Harac - Story Design / Dialog Scripting * Chuck Romberger - Lead Programmer * Doug Lanford - Game Programmer / Tools * Carl Mey - Additional Programming * Mimi Dogget - Lead Artist * Ken Robertson - Assistant Lead Artist * Clifford Lau - Game Art * James Green - Game Art * Scot Tumlin - Game Art * Jon Bell - Game Art * Michael Spaw - Game Art * Ken Cope - Game Art * Matt Crane - Game Art * Moddie Stone - Additional Art Help * Avril Harrison - Additional Art Help * Barry Blum - Sound Lead / Music Design * Wiley Evans - Sound Effects / Dialog Lip Sync * Jennifer Neilson - Marketing * Tom Reuterdahl - Gametek Vice President of Product Development References Characters Main *Kyle Bartley *Vala Norri Zentraedi to be added Guest Characters to be added Mecha to be added Background The game was originally conceived as an ambitious title that involved rendering everything using models in real dimensions, with no background sprites making up the scenery. Planets and stars were all rendered in 3D and in perspective; this resulted in the entire rendered universe requiring six months of real time to traverse from one end to the other. The game was also going to include over 40 minutes of dialogue and featured open-ended gameplay, allowing the player to pick up missions and help the various organizations at his own discretion. Since work began on "Crystal Dreams" well before Nintendo finalized their console's hardware, Gametek were unsure on the amount of processing power the system would have and wanted to ensure they could have fast gameplay while having many enemies on screen at the same time. To ensure this, the team used very simple crystal models for the enemies and created a story based around them. Ultimately the low-resolution models were unnecessary, but the design and story had already been established. The resources and money required to produce a quality 3D title during this transitional period from 2D to 3D was not well understood and the project fell behind schedule. The game's original publisher pulled out, GameTek were unable to find another and did not have the capital to fund the project alone. The developers concede that their design was probably too ambitious, particularly from such a small company; Gametek had only three programmers. Despite this the developers hold the opinion that they only needed another six more months to bring the title to a beta stage before Gametek folded. Unfinished Nintendo 64 ROM images are available to download via the "Crystal Dreams" developers website. External Links * The official site for the game: with images, videos, and even the latest version of the ROM available for download Category:Video Games Category:Unfinished projects